9/21/09- This past weekend was a very eventful one as far as Turbokart
projects were concerned. On Saturday we ran the T58
Turbine boat in my neck of the woods for the first time for
shake down, familiarization, and prop testing. Then on Sunday, the
Turbo 'Busa Kart hit the road for
the very first time for shakedown and engine testing. Click the
links to read more details.

Turbokart.com
update: Due to a lack of time, Turbokart.com will be undergoing
some changes. First of all, I plan on documenting the completion
of the Turbo 'Busa Kart project and the T58 Turbine Boat Project
on this website, as I've been doing before. While I will continue
to build other projects in the future and finish old projects in
my spare time, I will not be documenting those other projects on
this website. I simply don't have enough time. When the Turbine
Boat project and the 'Busa Kart project are completed, I will no
longer update the website, although it will remain up as an educational
resource for anyone who is interested. Also, I will not be taking
emails. Thanks for watching and thanks to all of the positive emails
I've received over the years.

Quick
update: The Turbo eXciter Kart is
now in the hands of a well known local boat racer/engine tuner who
has loads more carburetor experience and is going to try to tune
the Turbo eXciter for optimal fuel delivery. I've gotten the turbo
engine to run fairly well with the turbo, but it is far from optimized
at this point. I will post more info on this as it comes along.

Also,
it has been a long time since there has been an update to the T58
Turbine Boat project, but that doesn't mean that nothing has been
happening. The engine is at Superboat's shop, and I recently had
a meeting with the people at Superboat to go over the final details
of the project. Currently, the ancillary boat systems like the steering
system, trim tabs, fuel system, and basic wiring is going in. Very
shortly, the engine will be installed into the hull and hooked up
to the drive, and then we can rig the boat. The boat will definitely
be in the water for testing next season. Look for an update coming
soon. Sorry for the delays. For a review of the project, go to the
T58 Turbine Boat Page.

3.
Quick news update on the T58 Turbine Boat: Tim Arfons has determined
that the fuel control unit on the T58 engine was the cause of the
problem. He replaced it, and now the engine works perfectly. I am
going to pick up the engine next week and bring it directly to Superboat.
Finally, we can begin to finish this project. Stay tuned for more
updates on the project coming soon.

Also,
the General Electric T58 engine is on its way back to Tim Arfons's
shop over in Akron, OH. Tim should be able to figure out our fuel
problem and getting the engine running back perfectly. Once we get
the engine back, it is going straight into the boat. There is still
hope that the medium turbine boat will make it in the water this
season, for initial testing. That will give us the winter to get
all of the finishes done. We'll keep you posted on the progress.

6/08/07- Update to the Turbo 'Busa Kart
Project. Also, a big update to the Turbo eXciter Kart project
is coming within the next week.

A
little bit of frustration here at www.turbokart.com.
The
T58 Turbine Boat Project has encountered another setback which will
delay things some more. Though the hull is now completed and waiting
for the engine, we continue having fuel related engine problems
and the engine won't start consistently on the running stand. I
will not accept anything but a reliable engine in my boat, and we
are working hard and taking whatever measures are necessary to get
the engine running properly.

Though
the updates are less frequent than before, we remain committed to
finishing all current projects, as well as producing videos of the
projects in action, and even starting new and exciting projects
in the future.

Also,
to expand the breadth of this site to cover turbocharged reciprocating
engines, I have included a new section called How
Turbocharged Piston Engines Work. I hope that you find it informative
and enlightening.

2/05/06- Despite some difficulties, distractions, and other issues,
today we test-fired our T58-GE-8F engine that we will be using in
our T58 Turbine Boat Project. Read
about our engine test here. We also
shot some video of the test. Check it out on the Videos
page.

This
following week will be spent welding and fabricating the components
for the power turbine assembly and compressor and turbine assembly
for Project X. So stay tuned in the next few
days for updates to the Project X page.

Also,
have a look at one of my side projects, not exactly turbine-related,
but still relevant nonethless; Operation:
CameraShip.

10/10/05- The original Turbokart turbojet
kart has been sold to one lucky owner. Also, I have sold the small
turbine boat to make room for and to finance my current turbine
boat project, which will start moving in full swing now that
I will be picking up the completed engine, transmission and drive
in the next week.

Though
I was sad to see my old projects go, I know that they will be in
good hands, and the future should hold many more interesting and
different projects.

8/30/05- IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!----I am going to place the original
Turbokart, my first, thrust driven kart,
up for sale on Ebay
in approximately 2-3 weeks. In the mean time, I have decided to
offer Turbokart.com fans the opportunity to buy it at a reduced
cost before it goes up for auction. At the moment I am asking $6000
for the kart, but I may accept lower offers. I will entertain the
highest offer if more than one person is interested in buying, but
I don't expect it to turn into a competitive bidding process. If
you are interested, please email me at dtomass371@aol.com

If
no one buys it in the next few weeks, then I will place it on Ebay
and announce it on this website. The reserve price on Ebay
will be set somewhat higher than the price listed above, so I would
encourage any interested parties to take this opportunity before
it passes.

FYI,
I am selling the kart to raise some finances and to make room for
a new Kart project, which should prove to be even faster than Formula
Turbokart! Stay tuned for news on that.

To
learn more about the original Turbokart
thrust powered turbojet kart, please follow this link.

6/27/05- Big update to the T58 Turbine
Boat Page. Also, I have started a page for a new project that
I will be beginning shortly called Project X.
The project is listed on my turbine
projects page or it can be found directly by clicking here.

5/26/05- Many of you have probably come to the conclusion that I
was involved in a turbine karting accident and was killed, since
I haven't updated in so long. However, I can tell you with great
joy that I am still alive and well, and still working on my turbine
projects.

I
have a lot of things going on in my life right now (mostly good
things!) and so I haven't had as much time to work on some of my
hobbies. That combined with the fact that I had reached a bottleneck
in my turbine boat project meant that I haven't had all that much
to write about, even if I did have time to do it. I will say that
I don't expect to update the site as frequently as I have in the
past, but I remain committed to my love of gas turbine projects
and documenting them on the internet.

But,
without further ado, here is a list of updates for the site:

-I
have updated the T58 turbine boat
page. Mark Nye has come through and has begun performing the necessary
modifications to allow for the bolting up of the power turbine housing
to the output reduction gearbox and crashbox. Check out the T58
turbine boat page for details.

-Formula
Turbokart is finally back in the shop so that the Mark II JFS-100
engine with air start capability, low idle speed, and anti-flameout
protection can replace the original engine. Once the engine is replaced,
I will perform the necessary modifications and test the go kart,
as well as film some more video, including a car race and some in-car
action so that you can get an idea of just how fast the thing accelerates.
At the moment, there are no updates on the Formula
Turbokart page, but expect them very soon.

-I
have begun working on a completely new and special project, which
is essentially a do it yourself turbocharger derived turbine engine,
with a very special twist. The project is listed on the Turbine
Projects page, and in the near future I will start posting some
information on this project.

-I
have decided that I would like to expand the scope of the website
to include some of my other related interests. In particular, in
the last months, I have become very interested in turbocharged engines,
including gasoline and Diesel engines of all different shapes and
sizes. I would like to get involved in some turbocharged engine
projects, including go karts and full sized automobile projects.
More on that to follow.

-Also,
I have added a page called Other People's Projects
to my Turbine Projects Page. This
is to highlight other people's turbine projects of interest. If
you happen to have a gas turbine project that you would like to
display, but don't have the time or wherewithal to put it up on
the internet, then please email
me with a 1-2 page detailed description of the project, and
some photographs if you can. I will happily post your project on
my Other People's Projects page.

-While
on my "hiatus", I developed an interest in Radio Controlled
Helicopters, and would like to feature my Kyosho Caliber 30 helicopter
on my Cool Product of the Moment Page.

1/09/05-
Happy New Year. I hope that this year brings everyone great fortune
and fun, and hopefully more gas turbines for me to play with. (And
a little more free time to play with them!!!)

Formula
Turbokart will be making its way back into the shop sometime this
week for the engine swap, after which I will be able to put up more
fun video of the kart doing what it does best: scaring the hell
out of me!

The
T58 engine work continues but right now there is not much news to
talk about.

Quick
update: Some news on the progress of the T58 engine and drive train
for the boat project...Click here

11/28/04- Turbokart.com has been a little quiet as of late. This
is due to a number of factors, including moving into a new house,
and also just the timing of things. The turbine boat project continues
at a slow pace until I am able to pick up the engine, and I haven't
had time to bring Formula Turbokart back into the shop to do the
engine swap, and probably won't be able to until after the new year,
so things have been a little slow lately. However, both projects
are still on track, and will be completed.

Sorry
for the lack of updates. I've been busy with work and with playing
around with our turbine toys, and also we've been waiting for a
bunch of parts to come in for the JFS mod. Stay tuned for more updates
in the near future!

I'd
like to say thanks to my friend Neil for taking me up in his Socata
TB-9 airplane in exchange for a ride in my jet turbine boat. I now
have a greater appreciation for the abilities of a good pilot, and
my desire to learn how to fly has really been fueled. Thanks Neil!

Formula
Turbokart has been shaken down and we expect to do some more running
in the next week or so. We hope to get some more video of it as
well.

2/26/04- The excitement is starting to build as the spring time
fast approaches, which means the beginning of karting season and
boating season. Formula Turbokart is back in commission and we will
be running it on the weekends coming soon. Look out for new videos
clips of Formula Turbokart in the following weeks. Also, we are
continuing the design of our GE T58 turbine boat, as Tim Arfons
continues to work on the engine.

In
the meantime, we have been keeping ourselves busy; the Solar T62
turbine is now in complete running condition. The next step will
be to mount a hydraulic pump to the engine to see if we can drive
the load at a constant speed. We are also working on stripping down
our Solar T41 turbine of all its unnecessary components, like the
large mounting cabinet, the heat exchanger , and all of the other
bulky excess items. We intend to make a "plug and play"
ready to run kit that we hope to sell to someone who is considering
buying a ready to run turbine engine either for educational purposes
or for a project. Stay tuned for more information on that.

In
a few days over at Akron Turbine Group in Ohio, Tim Arfons will
be doing a first run up of the gas producer section of my General
Electric T58-GE-8F Engine. He will start up the engine, and then
run it up to 102% power to set the fuel control governer topping
and bottoming. Look for a small video clip of the test run to follow
in a week or so.

1/03/04- Happy New Year! Starting off the New Year right, we have
added another turbine engine to our collection, making it eight
turbine engines altogether. I won a Solar T62 turbine engine on
ebay and should be taking delivery of it within a week or so. Updates
to follow when we receive the shipment.

12/16/03- Slightly off topic: Last week at Grossetto Airbase in
Italy a Ferrari Formula 1 car and a Eurofighter Typhoon Jet had
a drag race. Check out this video to see the result: Schumi
Vs. Eurofighter

Actually,
the video doesn't tell the whole story. There were three drag races,
first 600 meters, then 900 meters, and then 1200 meters. The Ferrari
took the first race by .2 seconds, but the Eurofighter won the 900
meter by the same margin, and then destroyed the Ferrari in the
1200 by 2.5 seconds, at which point the jet was already airborne.
In the Ferrari's defense, if the track was dry, the outcome of the
900 meter race may have been different, though the car still had
no chance in the 1200 meter.

10/28/03- T58 Turbine Boat Page updated...
Links added.... The additional braking hardware
has arrived at my kart supply store, Keller's Motorsport in Long
Island. I will be picking them up this weekend so that we can continue
the modifications on Formula Turbokart. We are still awaiting the
wheelie bar kit.

10/13/03- Our Turbine Boat Official Movie has been completed and
it looks pretty cool. Take a look at it in the Videos
section of the website.

We
have added some pictures of our Formula Turbokart in the high
resolution pictures section. These pictures would make great
wallpapers if you ask me... We have also added a couple of links
to the links section.

On
a slightly unrelated note, we'd like to take a moment to congratulate
Michael Schumacher
on winning his record breaking 6th Formula 1 World Driver's Championship.
I've been a Formula 1 fan for almost ten years, and I have followed
Michael Schumacher along on his rise to becoming the greatest driver
to ever turn a steering wheel.

-I
purchased a 1,370 horsepower General Electric
T58 turboshaft engine. I won the engine on an ebay auction for
a very fair price. I intend to use the engine in a larger scale
turbine powered boat project sometime in the not so distant future.
Keep checking the turbine projects
page for more information about the engine and the forthcoming
project as it rolls in.

-My
19 foot turbine powered boat, Fine Whine,
has given me and my friends hours and hours of thrills all throughout
the summer, and I have just finished shooting footage for a neat
little video that should be making its way onto this website in
the next couple of weeks.

-I
finished painting and detailing the bodywork on Turbokart
II and a maiden test run is about a week away. Take a look at
the Turbokart II page for details
and updates.

-I
have updated the Turbine Engines
page with some new information on the LHTEC T800 helicopter engine,
for those interested in learning more about the latest in modern,
cutting edge gas turbine engine technology.

8/19/03- The Turbokart II page has
been updated. The project is nearing completion.

8/12/03-
The beast is finally alive!!! Turbokart
II test firing is successful. A test drive will follow very
shortly.

8/09/03-
The engine is reinstalled in Turbokart II, and we attempted another
test firing. Read about it here. Also,
the turbine boat is now 100% complete, and we have even given it
a name. Have a look at the turbine boat
page to find out what it is.

4/14/03- I have returned from my trip. Please visit my special Concorde
Page, to learn more about my experience flying on the Mach 2
airliner. There is info about the aircraft, the engines,
pictures, and even a video clip of the takeoff from my seat. Also,
I have added some quick updates to my turbine
boat page. Updates to the Turbokart II project to come very
soon!

3/25/03- Engine info added to the Turbine
Engines page: The General Electric GE T700 Turboshaft engine
which makes news almost everyday powering the Apache and Cobra attack
helicopters in the middle east.

Sorry
for the lack of updates...Been very busy with other stuff in the
last couple of weeks. I'll be flying on the Concorde tomorrow ,
a lifelong dream. When I get back from my trip, there will be plenty
of updates, boating season will be starting up again, and I'll even
post some pictures and info about my Concorde flight. Stay tuned...

As
a side note, this week we were hit with a major snowstorm, and of
course I was stuck with the shoveling duties...which led me to come
up with an idea for a turbine powered snow blower. The Boeing 502
would be a perfect engine for such a project; we could use the shaft
horsepower to drive the wheels and the snow blower, blow the snow
into a collection chamber, and then use the hot exhaust to melt
the snow. Some of the water could be ingested into the engine and
evaporated in the exhaust, increasing power output, and the rest
of the water could be collected and disposed of. Either that, or
you could just aim the snow blast at that pesky neighbor who for
some reason keeps complaining about all the noise, and take him
out at 300 feet...

1/28/03- I have completed the engine mounting system on the shaft
powered kart, which marks a significant step towards completing
the project. Check out the Turbokart II
section for details.

1/25/03- Today I started up my Boeing 502-6 free shaft turbine engine
in my garage. Have a look here, and be
sure to take a look at the video clip
of it running in the videos section.

1/22/03-
Turbokart II is back on track and making excellent progress. Check
out today's updates here.

1/20/03- I have added the video for
the startup of the Solar T41. Check it out here.

1/19/03- It's been a little while since the last update. In the
meantime, we have been busy on a number of projects. Primarily,
we have been waiting on the driveshaft for the shaft drive kart.
After some delay and hangups, the shaft is finally complete, which
means that we can resume work on the shaft kart. Keep track of what
is going on here.

Also,
I have been working on getting the Boeing 502-6 running, and have
made some good progress. Check it out on the Boeing
page.

Today
we started up the Solar T41-M9A APU for the first time. Check back
in the next few days for a video clip.

12/30/02- I received shipment of the Solar T41-M9A APU yesterday.
I have added a page for the new unit. Have a look here.
The engine is complete and is in running condition. As soon as we
get a chance to run it, I will put up a video clip of a startup
and shutdown. From what I have heard, this is an extremely loud
engine. It should be interesting to see the neighbors' reactions.

12/25/02- Merry Christmas!!! I found a running Solar T41 under the
Christmas tree...well, sort of. It should be a nice addition to
our collection.

12/19/02- A good deal of the information I learned on gas turbine
engines came off of the many great gas turbine websites on the internet,
as seen on my links page. To give something
back, I would like this page to be as informative as possible. I
have updated the Turbine Engines
page, adding a new section called What
is a Gas Turbine and How Does it Work? I hope that many people
find this section helpful in learning just what makes these awesome
machines tick.

12/12/02- Site Update. I have updated the website to make it a little
easier to navigate. There are also a few new features, such as the
Turbine Engines information page.

The
shaft kart is still making slow but steady progress. There should
be an update on the project in a few days.

12/05/02- Update to the Turbokart II
page. Have a look here. In other news,
my turbine boat has been shrink wrapped and stored for the winter,
just in time for a big snowstorm.

11/04/02- Updates to the Turbokart II
page. Also, a new page has been set up for my new Boeing 502-6 Turboshaft
engine. Have a look here.

10/22/02- Eric and I took the boat out for a frigid yet fun blast
around the bay this weekend. Details, pics, and updates on the turbine
boat page. Also, some high resolution pics of the turbine boat
added to the images page.

I
recently won a Boeing 502-6 turboshaft on Ebay. I have added a new
page to the site on this latest acquisition. The page will be updated
as soon as I take delivery of the engine. Stay tuned...

10/16/02- Update to the Turbokart II page; Test fitting the JFS-100
in the kart chassis. Have a look here. Spool
up those Allisons, more turbine boating planned this weekend, weather
permitting.

9/22/02- Extensive test session of the turbine boat today. Check
it out here.

9/21/02- Major Updates...JFS-100 turboshaft has arrived...updates
to Turbokart
II page. Also, we have updated our image database. Check
it out in the Multimedia
section. Tomorrow we will continue testing on the turbine boat,
as long as the weather holds up.

9/02/02- We picked up a new go kart chassis today, and test fired
the 250-C18 in the turbine boat. New Video
added as well!!! Details here

8/22/02- Hang
in there...Steady progress continues on the shaft powered kart,
and the turbine boat should be ready for its first test run in about
a week or two. Expect some great video in the near future.